Bordeaux Euratlantique – three contract-winners on both banks of the Garonne

A major milestone in the development of the future Bordeaux Euratlantiquedistrict to the south of Bordeaux has just been passed with the announcement of the three contract-winners to carry out the Belvédère project on the right bank and build two timber high-rise housing blocks on the left bank.

These urban development projects will change the face of the district around the St Jean station on the new high-speed rail line that will cut the journey time between Paris and Bordeaux to just 2 hours and 5 minutes in 2017.

The new Belvédère district – the biggest on the right bank

On the right bank, the consortium led by Nexity, accompanied by Altarea Cogedim and Pitch Promotion for the developers, plus the urban architects Güller Güller, Hondelatte-Laporte and the landscape architect Gross Max, have won the tender to create the new Belvédère district within the Garonne Eiffel designated development zone (ZAC).

Accessed by the Saint-Jean bridge, this district with its 140,000 m² of development rights will accommodate 50,000 m² of office space and 113 dwellings, in addition to shops, services, business premises, a 120-room hotel, a corporate residence with 110 apartments and an emergency accommodation center, along with venues capable of staging the city’s cultural and special events.

“It’s the obvious choice for Bordeaux”, stresses Stephan de Faÿ. “The entire project is designed around a square on the scale of the Place de la Bourse, with materials such as stone and colors echoing those of the Old City, and buildings on a modest scale, whereas the other teams’ proposals tended to be more monumental. This allows for discreet and subtle interactions with the landscape”.

Left bank – two of the world’s tallest timber tower blocks

The Saint Jean Belcier district on the left bank has finally been chosen as the site for the construction of two tower blocks, named “Hypérion” and “Silva”, which will be among the tallest timber-framed buildings in the world (50 meters for the 16 to 18 floors).

These two emblematic and innovative tower blocks will also provide opportunities for the local timber industry.

The Hypérion tower block will be built by the team led by Eiffage, accompanied by Clairsienne as the social landlord, Jean Paul Viguier and associates for the project management and the regional timber construction companies Lamecol and Sacba.

The Silva tower by Kaufman&Broad (with Art&Build Studio Bellecour as the project manager, and Techniwood, IBS, SACBA and Eloth CBE Bois as the timber construction companies) will be built on an adjacent block.